Week 18 NFL picks - Betting props, picks, teasers and parlays - ESPN

Welcome to Week 18! As always, bet on the final week of the NFL regular season with extreme caution. There are many conflicting motivations this week: Some players have statistical incentives to reach, but only some teams care about helping them get there. Some teams without a prayer for the playoffs are fighting for one last win, and some are «1-2-3 Cancun!»-ing their way through the last few quarters.

Here are my eight favorite bets for the upcoming weekend of NFL action, with a same-game parlay to boot.

All odds current as of publication time and courtesy of ESPN BET.

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Game picks | Prop bets | Teaser and SGP

Minnesota Vikings +3 (-120) at Detroit Lions

In one of the few games in which both teams are expected to be competitive, we have a more predictable environment, so we can more reliably find edges. While I do make the Lions a small favorite in this game, I only have them as a 1-point choice given the current state of their defensive roster. Getting the key number of three with the Vikings, even at the juice, is the side we'd like to be on here.

As the San Francisco 49ers reminded us in last week's game, this Lions defense is lacking a pass rush and is extremely vulnerable over the middle of the field, where the linebacking corps has been decimated. Alex Anzalone will not be back for this game, so Minnesota should be able to work the middle of the field and find more success on the ground than they did in their first outing. Even on the outside, the one-on-one opportunities for the Vikings' receivers look juicier, given the absence of corner Carlton Davis III.

With a total set at 56.5, the highest of any game this season, the market expects the Lions to keep pace with the Vikings' scoring. But Minnesota